Arizona near bottom in school funding

Phoenix, AZ – A new report today shows that when it comes to funding schools,most other states spend more.

The Census Bureau looked at how much state governments put intoeducation on a per capita basis. As expected, Arizona was nearthe bottom at 41st. Some have argued those numbers aremeaningless, saying they are in line with what people in thisstate make, an indication of cost of living. But the CensusBureau did measure state revenues up against each state'spersonal income. That did raise Arizona to 34th. But from aspending perspective, the state was dead last using that scale.State School Superintendent Tom Horne said Arizona can do better-- eventually.

"This year you can't do anything because there's no money. Partof my job is when the economy turns around and there areresources available, to persuade the Legislature to give a higherpriority to K-12."

And Horne said there is a link between spending and achievement.

"Even at the spending levels we're at, our test scores are abovethe national average. So if we could get our resources up to thenational average, I think we'd be one of the top, top statesnationally in academics because of our emphasis on academic rigorin the classroom."

It will take a bit of spending to do that. Arizona's per capitaspending is about 43-hundred a year; the national average is 11-hundred dollars more.